I’ve spent a bit of little bit of time with the Galaxy S25 Plus this week, and whereas I haven’t but gone extensively by the brand new options and capabilities, I’ve had some fairly good first impressions of the cellphone. I beforehand reviewed the Galaxy S24 Plus, so Samsung’s newest mannequin feels each acquainted and like a welcome refresh. The truth is, with such a robust concentrate on AI, it is feeling extra like I am utilizing a suped-up Pixel than a Galaxy cellphone.
Right here are some things which have stood out to me to this point whereas utilizing the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Colour is every part
For the previous few years, I’ve been fairly unimpressed with Samsung’s coloration choice. The primary hues for the S collection telephones have shifted towards pastels, and I always complain that it makes Samsung’s already boring-looking telephones seem much more uninteresting. This 12 months, issues haven’t modified an excessive amount of, as most coloration choices for the Galaxy S25 Plus are nonetheless boring, however the standout colorway is the brand new Navy possibility.
The Navy Galaxy S25 Plus is the most effective coloration Samsung has launched for a cellphone because the inexperienced Galaxy S22. I really like blue, so I am a bit of biased, however the Navy hue is a deep blue with a really slight shimmer that nearly glistens in direct daylight. Relying on the angle and lighting, the cellphone nearly seems indigo, which was the same impact to the inexperienced Galaxy S22, which appeared blue in sure lighting. The frosted glass on the again is properly contrasted with the thick black digicam rings within the nook, whereas the flat body provides off an nearly neon glow.
Based on Samsung, the colour is definitely impressed by Galaxy AI, intently matching the hue of the signature sparkle icon that accompanies many consumer-facing options on Android telephones. And given how centered the brand new telephones are on AI, it’s a pleasant technique to merge the design with the software program. I admit that the cellphone’s design continues to be fairly tame, particularly in comparison with different flagship Android telephones just like the OnePlus 13. Nonetheless, a fantastic coloration choice actually helps make issues pop.
That is one thing Motorola discovered with the Razr Plus 2024. These telephones aren’t supplied in easy colours like black, white, or silver; every Razr Plus 2024 coloration is vibrant and distinctive, such because the Sizzling Pink possibility, which is a results of its partnership with Pantone. The Galaxy S25 collection isn’t fairly there but, and most of the different coloration choices retain the tasteless pastels (I assume somebody should like them?), however with colours like Navy and even the Samsung-exclusive Coralred, the Galaxy S25 Plus already appears to be like rather more compelling than its predecessor.
One UI 7 is easy like butter
The Galaxy S25 Plus could look largely the identical on the skin, however when you flip the cellphone on, it’s a special story. One UI 7 feels so good to make use of, and I already really feel like that is the most effective model of Samsung’s software program up to now.
I’ve unapologetically been a giant fan of One UI for a while, as I believe the UI manages its area significantly better than the Pixel software program. With Android 15, Samsung modified loads of issues round that make the software program really feel considerably Pixel-like with its extra bubbly UI parts whereas retaining the extra environment friendly Samsung aptitude I’ve come to like whereas tweaking it in ways in which I discover fairly sensible.
As an illustration, there’s now a vertical app drawer. Beforehand, with a view to get a vertically scrolling app drawer, you’d have to put in the Good Lock app and undergo the modules and settings. Now, you simply have to alter the app drawer to alphabetical sorting, which is able to change it from its default horizontal pagination (why it’s nonetheless the default is past me).
Then there’s the Fast Panel and notification shade. By default, they’re separate, and whereas many individuals could not like this iPhone-esque tackle the UI, it’s one thing I’ve gotten used to from different OEMs like Motorola. I already favored Samsung’s revamped take with One UI 6, which retains Wi-Fi and Bluetooth buttons in addition to different settings like brightness, media output, and extra.
One UI 7 takes it a step additional with extra customization, and all of the settings you need are roughly at your fingertips with the full-page Fast Panel. Samsung even took after the app drawer by ditching the horizontal scrolling for the customizable fast settings by turning it into an expandable panel.
I additionally like how notifications are displayed. In case you get multiple notification from the identical app, they’ll usually stack on prime of one another in order to not take up an excessive amount of area from different notifications. This habits additionally mimics the brand new multitasking display screen, which additionally stacks open apps behind one another as a substitute of putting them facet by facet. All of it simply makes for a extra visually interesting and cohesive expertise, and it seems like Samsung actually thought this by.
I can also’t go with out speaking about how good it feels to make use of One UI 7. All the pieces you do feels so easy and buttery with out feeling such as you’re caught ready for transitions to complete earlier than doing the subsequent factor. The lock and residential screens really feel like they’re floating up at you while you activate the show, the Fast Panel and notification shade have a pleasant kinetic bounce to them, and animations between apps and screens are slick.
The expertise is a stark distinction to One UI 6 on my Galaxy Z Flip 6 and even the Galaxy S24 Plus, which feels stiff by comparability. And whereas Android 15 on my Pixel 9 is admittedly very quick and fluid, even that seems like a half-step behind One UI 7. I don’t assume I’ve ever loved the sensation of a UI this a lot.
It is giving Pixel
However sufficient about how the software program feels; what’s it really doing for me? Effectively, quite a bit, it seems. Or, not less than, it’s attempting to. Samsung didn’t make {hardware} adjustments this 12 months, which I’m nonetheless a bit of bummed about. Nonetheless, with all of the concentrate on AI, it now seems like Samsung is attempting to show the Galaxy S collection into its very personal Pixels.
Out of the field, the Gemini is only a click on away with a protracted press of the facility button. Whereas I do not look after this technique of evoking an AI assistant (it is a energy button, let’s hold it that method), it emphasizes Samsung and Google’s sturdy partnership to deliver the newest and best of Gemini first to the Galaxy S25 collection.
One factor I respect concerning the Pixel is that it appears to wish to make your life simpler by placing the AI options you may need proper at your fingertips. That is what I really feel Samsung has been working in direction of since debuting Galaxy AI on the S24 collection, and it is much more prevalent with the S25 Plus simply how a lot it desires to be a Pixel.
Drawing Help acquired an improve, which principally turns it into Pixel Studio, permitting you to create or alter photographs from drawings or textual content. AI Choose is basically Circle to Search with out the search, letting you extract content material out of your display screen to carry out varied actions like modifying a picture, translating textual content, making a GIF, and extra.
Audio Eraser is Samsung’s model of Google’s Magic Audio Eraser, which analyzes a video to allow you to take away sure sounds. In my restricted use of Audio Eraser on some movies I took over New 12 months’s Eve with one other cellphone, the function works shockingly effectively, eradicating very loud music in order that I may solely hear my voice within the clips.
Then there’s the Now Bar and Now Temporary. These two options I am most intrigued by, and I really feel like there’s fairly a little bit of potential there, even when they do not fairly stay as much as it but. Now Bar acts like a bottom-mounted Dynamic Island, which exhibits music controls, timers, stay sports activities scores, and even Google Maps instructions. It ought to act as a fairly useful technique to work together with apps instantly out of your lock display screen, though to this point, my interactions with it have been restricted, and it isn’t fairly as helpful a function as I had hoped.
The identical goes for Now Temporary, which additionally seems within the Now Bar throughout sure occasions of the day (or you’ll be able to set a widget on your own home display screen). It is principally a abstract of your morning, afternoon, and night, which ought to recall varied data based mostly in your well being stats, calendar, and extra, nearly like Morning Temporary on the Pixel Watch 3.
Sadly, whereas I get a few of that information, the briefs aren’t as insightful or informative as I would really like, exhibiting me the climate, upcoming calendar occasions, and suggesting Spotify songs to me. I nonetheless haven’t seen any well being stats seem in my temporary regardless of actively utilizing Samsung Well being. I additionally want it was extra proactive at exhibiting me my briefs outdoors of the lock display screen, maybe with a notification.
Nonetheless, I see the place Samsung goes with these options, they usually have a number of potential. I think about the Now Bar will really feel extra helpful when it good points extra help from third-party apps, and I am hoping I am going to get extra out of Now Temporary after I take advantage of the cellphone extra.
Extra to return
Whereas I could not be much less impressed with how little Samsung upgraded the Galaxy S25 Plus {hardware}, I am surprisingly having fun with the cellphone greater than I anticipated to. It’s nappy, the software program feels fairly polished, and the Navy hue is the one coloration price getting. To date, it feels just like the Pixel cellphone I’ve all the time needed.
I do not love every part, from pointless adjustments with lock display screen notifications to the seeming removing of the swipe gesture to evoke the assistant. Samsung additionally has some odd selections for default settings that I discover a bit of questionable.
That stated, there’s nonetheless fairly a bit that I wish to check out extra completely, together with the cameras, battery life, general efficiency, and the Qi2 MagSafe charging (supplied I get my arms on a Galaxy S25 Plus case that helps MagSafe). You’ll be able to sit up for all of this and extra in my full evaluate of the Galaxy S25 Plus.
Samsung’s Pixel 9 Professional XL
The Galaxy S25 Plus might not be that a lot completely different from its predecessor on the skin, however the brand new Snapdragon chip and enhanced AI capabilities make this a correct AI cellphone and competitor to Google’s finest Pixel cellphone.
